LeBron James All-Star Game Shoes: Breaking Down LBJ's New Nike Kicks

LeBron James is set to take flight in Houston for the 2013 All-Star Game, and Nike has rolled out a brand new set of shoes to celebrate the occasion.

While the All-Star Game primarily serves as an opportunity for the league's best players to compete under one roof, it's also a big time for shoe companies to make some extra dough by rolling out special-edition shoes.

Nike will be looking to make a big splash with its premier athlete, and it definitely went all out in designing LeBron's kicks for the event.

Since the game is taking place in the hometown of NASA, Nike decided to go with a space theme for James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant. The Miami Heat star will be donning a special-edition "extraterrestrial" pair of the LeBron X's for the game.

They are not for the faint of heart.

"Wow" Factor: 10/10

If you're simply judging the shoe by its ability to grab attention, this shoe is as efficient as James has been on the floor lately.

The usual colorways for the LeBron's are eye-catching as it is, but the glittery purple version that LeBron will be wearing at the game kick it up a notch. The purple and orange color scheme provides an interesting contrast.

The orange and purple give the shoes a nice, spacy feel. If Nike wanted to create space boots that you can play basketball in, mission accomplished.

The shoe was definitely a bold choice by Nike, but when LeBron takes off in these, he'll have the kids convinced there's an anti-gravity component to the design.

Marketability: 8/10

The ultimate goal for these shoes is to generate money for the company.

All-Star shoes create a lot of buzz. Ideally, Nike would like to capitalize on that buzz by seeing LeBron X's flying off the shelves after the All-Star break.

These shoes are sure to be a hit simply for the fact they are endorsed and worn by the game's best player, but they fall a bit short when it comes to everyday use. Nike was ambitious in making a shoe that will definitely stick out on TV, but they're a bit too gaudy for everyday usage.

The design is strong, and they would serve as a good choice for on-court wear, but that's about it.

Overall: 8.5/10

These are sure to be the most talked-about kicks at the All-Star Game, but they fall short of the great shoes that LeBron has donned in past versions of the event (particularly the LeBron IV he wore in 2007 or the LeBron VI's he rocked in 2009).

The theme is understandable since the game is being played in Houston. However, it seems like this shoe would just be limited to avid Nike collectors.

The alternate colorways are a different story, but the "extraterrestrial" version just doesn't seem like something the average man can pull off. James will undoubtedly make them look cool, though.